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    Without You...
    Without You...
    Without You...
    Ebook152 pages2 hours

    Without You...

    By Heather Mar-Gerrison

    ()

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    About this ebook

    I fished out my mobile and scrolled through the contacts until I found the one person who would be able to sort my head out... My nearest and dearest cousin, Madison.
    “Well, hello gorgeous.” Came his almost immediate response to his phone ringing.
    “I need you. I need coffee and I need chocolate.” I blurted out desperately.
    “Mm-hmm.” I could see him in my mind’s eye nodding and stroking his chin thoughtfully, “Do you also need a big fluffy pillow, a foot massage and a box set of Ugly Betty?”
    “Yes.” I wailed down the phone.
    He chuckled, “Come on over, I’ll put the kettle on.”
    I knocked on his door and he immediately answered, gathering me in and fussing over me, “Oh, babe.” He said, “You look so stressed out – what’s the matter?”
    I allowed him to usher me through to the kitchen and I pulled out one of the chairs at the large kitchen table which dominated the room, “Oh, God.” I put my head in my hands and groaned.
    Madison came hurrying back across the room, armed with two hot chocolates – with extra marshmallows on mine to give me a boost – and sat down opposite me, “You’re freaking me out now, babe,” he said, “What is it?”
    I shook my head and looked up at him, “I may have a crush – on someone I have no business having a crush on.”
    His eyes almost popped out of his head, “A girl?” he asked incredulously.
    I nearly spat my chocolate across the table, “No!” I spluttered, “Don’t be ridiculous!”
    He grinned, “Well, who then?”
    “Lachlan O’Shea.” I breathed, “He’s gorgeous.”
    This is number five in the Boys Next Door Series; it has the usual helping of adorable guys, and just enough naughty bits to keep you turning the pages...

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHeather Mar-Gerrison
    Release dateJul 1, 2016
    ISBN9781310203817
    Without You...
    Author

    Heather Mar-Gerrison

    I love to write M/M romance and as a sucker for a HEA, you're guaranteed one in my books. #happyheatherafters

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      Book preview

      Without You... - Heather Mar-Gerrison

      Without You…

      (Boy Next Door # 5)

      Heather Mar-Gerrison

      Smashwords Edition

      Heather Mar-Gerrison Copyright 2016

      Revised Edition 2022

      The beautiful front cover design:

      Courtesy of selfpubbookcovers/BeeJavier

      No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work.

      Prologue

      Jude

      So, you’re cool with helping Lachlan O’Shea with his maths?

      I nodded. I wasn’t even taking any notice of Mr Bird, our head of year. I was eighteen, in my last year of 6th form and all about getting laid. I wasn’t interested in a boy three years younger who was in all kinds of trouble and failing in almost every subject. Jeez, give me a break already… Yeah, yeah. I mumbled like only a disinterested, disengaged eighteen-year-old can.

      He cleared his throat and looked at me with his eyebrows bunched, looking totally stressed out, And Jude?

      I frowned and looked up at him, What? I asked, not liking his tone one bit.

      He’s only fifteen. He said, with definite sternness.

      I frowned. Was I missing something here? I’d tutored kids of only twelve before. What the hell point was he trying to make? So? I asked.

      His lips twitched, "I’m aware of your uh, orientation."

      My frown deepened. Rude. I felt immediately defensive. Seriously? Did he think I was some sort of sex pest just because I was gay? And that’s relevant because? I asked in my bitchiest tone.

      He sighed, "Have you ever met Lachlan?" he asked.

      I shook my head, No, sir, I said stiffly, "but my taste in men is just that – men."

      He nodded and smiled, Well, good, he said, because he really needs to concentrate on his studies and even though I’ve had my reservations about teaming the two of you up, you’re the best candidate for the job. I don’t think anyone else would be able to handle him.

      He sounded like a nightmare but I was kind of used to that by now. I’d been a mentor for two years now for the younger kids and I was pretty cool with it. I’m honoured, sir. I batted my eyelashes and grinned. Damn right I was the best candidate. I was a straight-A student in all of my subjects – but maths just came so easy to me it was totally the only subject worth pursuing at uni. I could be an accountant (yawn) or a maths teacher… the possibilities were endless…

      He grinned, "Just concentrate on your studies, young man – and please, do me a favour? Just ignore his flirting."

      My eyes widened. This kid was gonna flirt with me? Okay…

      *

      I was waiting for ages in the study area and no one was turning up, which annoyed me. I’d put myself out for this little shit and he’d stood me up… Not cool.

      I was just gathering my stuff up and packing it away into my bag when the door burst open and there stood a young guy with floppy, dark hair and a slightly wild look about him. He grinned when I looked up, Hey, man, he said breathlessly, I’m real sorry for being so late…

      I shrugged, You’re not just late, I said, "you’re twenty-five minutes late. I’m going home. I’ll have to report to Mr Bird that you failed to show."

      His smile disappeared instantly, which was a little disappointing, since it was a really beautiful smile… But I’m here, now. He said a little indignantly.

      I looked at him in exasperation, "And you’re late. I repeated. Ridiculously late." I added for good measure.

      Please, man. He said, a pleading tone in his voice, I’ll be suspended at this rate…

      That struck a nerve with me. I didn’t want to be the reason some kid failed… Fine, I sighed, feeling as though he was totally taking advantage of my overly soft nature, Sit down.

      He grinned again, looking thoroughly relieved. He dragged out the chair that I’d been sat in only moments ago and flopped his long body down into it. My dick twitched in my pants. He was fucking gorgeous…

      Ignoring the alarming affect he was having on my body, I pulled out the chair next to him and sat down too, What are you struggling with? I asked.

      He looked at me sheepishly, "It would be fair to say – everything." He said.

      Chapter 1 – Meeting Jude...

      Lachlan

      I didn’t want a fucking tutor. No one else needed one. It was downright embarrassing and besides, what was the fucking point? If I was stupid, I was stupid… who really gave a fuck, anyway?

      Only I knew, deep down, that I really wasn’t stupid. I just couldn’t be bothered. You could say that I had a few issues with authority… I was far more intelligent than most of the fucking teachers, here and that was why I switched off…

      Jude was looking at me with a little frown, But you were a straight-A student only last year, he said, so what’s changed?

      Fuck. Why did he have to go and ask me that? Uh… dunno… I looked away from him but he was too damned pretty not to look at so I found myself looking back at him only seconds later.

      He raised an eyebrow, Is everything okay at home?

      Fuck. Was he some kind of freaky mind-reader or something? I let out a massive sigh and nodded. Yeah. I admitted. But it wasn’t really. Mum and Dad had split up last year – and even though they both absolutely categorically denied that it was anything to do with me coming out to them, I couldn’t help the two things being irrevocably linked in my mind forever and so, being a completely self-absorbed teenager, I blamed myself.

      He tilted his head and little worry lines appeared on his forehead as he looked at me. I swallowed. He was far too good-looking this close up. I was gonna have to ask for another tutor… Sure about that? he asked, I’m here to listen – and I’ve got all evening, too. He smiled.

      Well, this was a refreshing change. Someone that was actually interested in what I had to say… And he was fucking gorgeous… Well, I came out, I said on a big sigh, and everything went to shit just after….

      I talked for ages. Jude asked questions and seemed really interested in me. I spilled my guts totally.

      "So, it’s not that you can’t do the work, he said with a smile that would melt Antarctica, you’re just bored stiff with the antiquated way some of the teachers put it over?"

      I nodded, Yeah, something like that. I agreed.

      Jude grinned, "Well, it’s lucky you’ve got me then, isn’t it?"

      Damn fucking right, it was. I grinned, Yeah. I agreed.

      *

      I was under the school counsellor. It pissed me off no end but I guess she was trying to stop me from failing and totally fucking up my life, so I didn’t give her a hard time for it. She was a nice woman and had suggested that I write down my thoughts and anxieties and anything else I felt I needed to get off my chest. She’d given me a journal, which was nothing but a notebook really – and it had been shoved to the bottom of my bag and pretty much forgotten about until that afternoon.

      When I got home I pulled it out and made my very first entry in it.

      Hey, this feels a little weird – talking to myself for want of a better way to put it but man – that guy Jude was good-looking wasn’t he?

      To be honest I’ve noticed him around a few times and I’ve always kind of fancied him. But wow! Those eyes. That body… The way his jeans hug him in all the right places if you catch my drift… Yeah you do… *winks…

      I chuckled as I read over what I’d written. This was actually kind of fun…

      Well, I’ve arranged to see him every night this week after lessons finish, so wish me luck. Hopefully I’ll get my grades back up to scratch – and maybe even a cheeky date…

      Laters, Lachlan.

      Chapter 2 – Far too young...

      Jude

      I sat back in my seat after Lachlan left the classroom. Wow. That had been intense. He’d told me everything about himself, pretty much. Well, a lot of the crap that had gone down in the last year, anyway. I didn’t know anything about his childhood but I’m guessing it was pretty much the same as mine had been. Two parents that got along well enough… He had a younger sister by a year, who had, up to now, been dealing with the break up of her parents pretty well and another, much younger, brother.

      I was fascinated with the way his mouth moved when he talked. He was exactly the sort of guy I would be attracted to if only he was a

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